A Wealthy Man's Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving Plate, 2010

You knew it was coming, didn't you?

Pictures, lots of pictures, of Thanksgiving Goodies...

For me, it is the biggest food holiday of the year.  Sure, I've done a few Christmas meals, complete with Roasted Goose, Fruited Rice Stuffing, Oven Roasted Potatoes, and Sweet-Sour Red Cabbage.  Easter has been celebrated with Ham in Beer and Molasses, Vegetable Root Puree, and Steamed Broccoli.  But Thanksgiving is where it is at, for me.

Well, here are the pictures...

Yummy Turkey

Roasted Chestnut Soup... I think it stole the show!

Tossed Greens with Walnuts, Goat Cheese, and Fruit

Raspberry Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Oreo Crumb Sprinkles

Deep Fried Brussels Sprouts with Walnut and Capers in a Red Wine Vinaigrette

and, of course, The Jello Mold!

The complete menu is as follows...

Cheese Straws

Beer, Wine, Vodka, Seedlings Farm Apple Cider

Romaine and Iceberg Lettuce with Ann Sather's Celery Seed Dressing

Tossed Greens, Walnuts, Goat Cheese and Fruit Salad with

Raspberry Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette

Buttermilk White Bread Rolls

Rye Bread Rolls

Freshly Churned Butter

Sevenson's Farms Roasted Free Range Tom Turkey with Pan Gravy

Velveeta Cheese and Corn Pasta Bake

Four Corn Blue Cornmeal Dressing with Sevenson's Farm

Breakfast Sausage

Buttermilk White Bread Celery Sage Dressing

Mint Creek Farm Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

Seedlings Farm Carrots in Beer and Dill

Seedlings Farm Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar and Maple Syrup Drizzle

Deep Fried Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Capers

Tossed with a Red Wine Vinaigrette

"Straight from the Cans" Green Bean Casserole

with Brunkow Farms 6 Year Aged Cheddar Cheese

Cajun Creamed Spinach

Coffee and Hot Chocolate

Homemade ApplePie

9 Layer Jello Mold

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cake with Oreo Crumb Sprinkles
Chocolate Brownies with Dark Chocolate Chambord Icing

The best part of the meal, though, were the people around the table...

A special thanks goes out to:

Ilene, for the Apple Pie, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cake, and Brownies...

Danika and Savva, for opening their home...

Ron, for the wonderful wines...

Marina, for the incredibly composed salad...

Mark, for making it the the table after having had a wisdom tooth pulled that morning...

Danny and Stephanie, for coming after working a long night shift...

Jim, for taking the long trek on the Red Line to get to the meal...

Kathy, for being my cooking partner and the Jello Mold (takes 6 hours to make!)...

Tim, for somehow finding the strength to eat 3 Thanksgiving Meals in 3 days.

Ilene

Jim

Ron

Mark, Marina, and Lisa

Danny

Stephanie

While I am thankful to God for many things, most of all, I am thankful for the people in my life; the broad family that Ilene and I have created, my friends, colleagues, bandmates, and fellow parishioners.  That is what makes me a wealthy man.

Roasted Chestnut Soup

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
2 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
6 cups roasted vegetable broth
1 (14- to 15-ounce) jar peeled cooked whole roasted chestnuts, crumbled (3 cups)
1/4 cup Sercial Madeira
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1.  Make roasted vegetable broth by roasting one or two halved onions, skin on, with 3 large carrots, halved length wise, 5 ribs of celery, coarsely chopped at 375 degrees F., coating with vegetable oil and turning occasionally, until they are browned.  Put in stock pot, add 7 cups water and simmer for two to three hours.  Strain the vegetables.

2. Make a bouquet garni with the parsley, cloves and bay leaf.

3.  Saute chopped celery, carrot, and onion in the butter until translucent.  Add to the broth with the bouquet garni. Crumble the roasted chestnuts and add to broth.  Add the Madeira to the broth.  Bring to a simmer for one hour.

4.  Puree the soup in a blender and return to pot.

5.  Add the cream, taste and add salt and pepper as desired.